The thing was if you started collecting prog in 1970 - you could possibly get most of the stuff recorded (vinyl) in a very short period.......But starting to collect Now - I already have about 12 metric tons of progressive metal and about a million years worth of symphonic progressive rock......

I am still waiting for the music format where all the recording tracks are available to you - so that if you buy a CD you love but has a pesky saxophonist then you can cut the track and cut the sax, also don't like the singer but dig the music - cut the vocals.............

More like 40 years now ... though I go back as far as the mid sixties in Brazil...

Approaching 45 years myself. Wasn't even a teenager when Dad brought in self-titled Blood, Sweat and Tears in 1968 (which is "progressive" in its own right). From there, Moody Blues, Days of Future Past; Beatles, Sergeant Pepper; King Crimson (self-titled); more early Chicago (great "progressive" stuff). And, by my teens, I was into all the progressive standards of the early 70s: ELP, Genesis, Yes, Kansas, and then Camel by the mid-70s. Back in my younger years, Dad was also playing Brubeck "Time Out," probably since the time it came out when I was born in 1959. "Progressive" - prog - whatever you want to call it, is definitely a life-long journey - enjoy it!

I would go nuts going alphabetically but that's just me. I started with the classics from the seventies then jumped into the different sub-genres like Zeuhl, Krautrock, Jazz/Fusion etc buying what most felt was the best. So yes i used Prog Archives a ton back then(still do) and checked as many top 100 lists etc that i could find.

I would just encourage you to enjoy the ride and take the time to get to know the music you get.

If you go for alphabetically, you're going to have a hard time, mainly for 2 reasons: 1) there's just too much, and 2) too much of it is mediocre. On the other hand I can understand your need for exploration and discovery.

What I would probably do is (as suggested above) work through the highest rated genre albums to get an idea of what you like and what you don't, and occasionally go for the lucky dip, although chances are you could pick some pretty gross duds, in spite of any good sounding clips.

If you do it like that, you'll probably have a pretty good next 50 years.

It's hard to make a good suggestion on this ... when some of these are just looking at some ideas and not anything else ...

IF I can speak/say something for some of the reviewers and admins in this place, it has been that in those days (SPECIALLY!) we took chances ... you saw that cover ... hmmm ... that looks interesting, and I can tell you that between myself and my roomate, we bought CAN, AMON DUUL 2, PFM, BANCO, KEVIN AYERS, and many others ... by the cover ... and there was no way that you were not going to listen to that ZIPPED pair of lips! ... which gave us a better handle on the listening experience, than nowadays ...!!!

Today, you get a sample here and there, not even half as many minutes as we used to do and appreciate, and then you label it ... neo-plastic-x-tempore" ... or whatever ... by the sound ... not even by the music itself and the players compositions! THAT is really scary!

All in all, you really lose the sense of what music is, and does for you ... THUS, if I can make a good suggestion, stop going by anyone's suggestion and LEARN on your own, to interpret what you hear and how you understand it ... it will, in the end, enrich your music listening abilities ... to a degree that is incredible. Mostly you learn -- by yourself -- to decide what moves you or not. The socialist/populist idea that you should check everything including the kitchen sink prior to getting into it has some merits ... you can tell your child that fire burns ... but will the child listen?

You need some independence to learn to know and love, and appreciate ANY art out there ... otherwise ... you will not care about it, or appreciate it ... a few years later!

... none of the hits, none of the time ... you might actually find your own art, or self!

Ok. I've been Reading a lot of different suggestions and the closest that I can agree with is breaking the prog sphere up sub genre by sub genre. It's the best way to get through the vast world of prog; although I know this website is an incredible encyclopedia or database if you will, but breaking down music alphabetically is not the answer. I think you set yourself up for too much disappointment because of the lengthy roundabout way of trying to discover the diversity of prog and of course what you like. Overall, we have to look at the big picture and definitively ask our selves what we really love and appreciate when it comes to music meaning identify and hone in on what your sound tastes really are. It's less beating around the bush and you can go straight to pleasure town if you take it upon yourself to go down this road. As mentioned in this thread, the amount of art in music is infinite and we are finite in a sense, so it's best to be a bit more hedonistic when delving into the prog sphere at first plunge. Anyway, to discover prog I highly recommend breaking down for yourself through sub genre classification. You'll get a much better sense of what you like sound wise a lot faster and more efficiently. The best example I can equate this to is reading. If you love to read and all the sudden you want to plunge yourself into the world of science fiction novels, you wouldn't say to yourself 'well I'm gonna read every science fiction book ever read.' of course not, any rational person knows this is not possible, so what we can do for ourselves is to search out plot lines, author reputations etc to make it easier on us. The same applies to music. You just can't go about exploring prog of all things through a specific database. That's far too prosaic. :(

Ok. I've been Reading a lot of different suggestions and the closest that I can agree with is breaking the prog sphere up sub genre by sub genre. It's the best way to get through the vast world of prog; although I know this website is an incredible encyclopedia or database if you will, but breaking down music alphabetically is not the answer.

...

Nahhhh ... the best way is ... to ignore anyone's recomendations and get a feel for yourself!

Otherwise, you will have a real hard time learning what is what and be able to help define it ... because all you know has been "told" to you, and that's that.

The history of the arts, has always been about the independence of the heart and its ability to do its own thing ... but simply going by a populist/socialist idea and design, is more condusive to listen to a top ten, than it is to listen to the bottom ten, or the bands that will never get any recognition!

It's not easy, and you have to figure it out as you go along, but you will never regret that road!

I have no qualms about the distribution via separate elements, as this website and others do, but in terms of suggestions for listening, to specify only one area, is kinda naive for my way of thinking and I will not do that for anyone. But the sub-divisions make better sense if you know the music ... not if you are simply looking for "symphonic metal" ... or "neo-sublime death prog" ... at which point the subdivisions and definitions lose their value when stood up against the music!

It was just like that when in the old days, the new age folks were saying that Vangelis, Mike Oldfield and Popol Vuh were not "new age" (they weren't anyway!) ... but a song or two (specially one with Jon Anderson!) was! It takes away the freedom for the artist! And the best? ... they did what they saw, not what the audience demanded. Those folks will always be remembered. And so it is with "progressive" ... for their inventiveness and creativity ... I guarantee you that Fripp, ELP or Yes, were not discussing "progressive, then ... they were doing THEIR music!

Edited by moshkito - November 23 2012 at 12:41

... none of the hits, none of the time ... you might actually find your own art, or self!

You really have to be selective. There aren't enough hours in the day for you to explore the whole body of what we consider prog around here. Having said that, I have yet to get a bad recommendation from anyone around here...

being a huge lover of the Neo prog, prog archives helped me to discover the band Galahad. I knew I would enjoy this band based on the similarities this band has towards other great Neo prog bands such as IQ and PALLAS. My point is I was able to discover another great band that I love based on a genre itself. The genre rule applies big time when discovering new and wonderful music for yourself. PA is invaluable.

You know ... this is the hard part about talking about music, and not only "progressive" ... and in the end, almost all of music history is about that life-long journey for many folks.

And sometimes, somethings last better than others ... the 20th century has been the century of experimentation and the spreading of the experience of the music. I like to say Stravinsky, Miro and Bunuel and Dali, Burroughs, Huxley as the big artists to be remembered ... and then "jazz" and "progressive" ... I'm not sure that "rap" will be as well represented as it could, and I think the artists themselves would be to blame here ... when they are more interested in tearing each other down, than in the artistry of their work itself ... and too much of it will get lost and be wasted with a criminal past. It doesn't make it any less important.

I do believe, that unlike other generations, mine, will be known for this music ... and I'm proud of that ... because I was there and believed in it and have stood by it for 45 years ... at least!

Each generation has a voice ... some stand up ... some don't ... ours did! And it's voice is still alive ... and its arts, music, and film ... made a solid impression ... I'm very proud of my time and place.

Edited by moshkito - November 26 2012 at 12:11

... none of the hits, none of the time ... you might actually find your own art, or self!

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